Have you ever needed physical or occupational therapy (PT/OT) as part of your healthcare plan?
Many seniors have experienced chronic conditions that cause decreased strength, range of motion, balance deficits, difficulty with walking, or memory issues that may lead them to need PT/OT.
To qualify for PT/OT covered by insurance, patients typically need to have proper documentation, meet certain criteria, and demonstrate medical necessity.
To remain in therapy, a person must demonstrate “measurable, skilled progress,” or the therapy provider is required to discharge them. It is not uncommon for patients to meet their therapeutic goals and no longer qualify for PT/OT.
When people have completed their PT/OT, they may want the opportunity to maintain the progress they have made.
Maintenance Therapy for Seniors
Over the last decade, a new option for wellness and exercise, known as maintenance therapy in senior care, has become increasingly available to Minnesota seniors.
What is Maintenance Therapy?
Maintenance therapy consists of the same PT/OT that you are familiar with and is meant to help patients maintain a certain level of function, with a focus on restorative therapy to enhance recovery and sustainability of results.
The overall goal for the beneficiary is to avoid a regression in function and ability.
There are a few notable differences, however:
- It starts after traditional therapy ends and includes skilled care to ensure proper management of specific health needs.
- It has no requirements for frequency or duration of service.
- It can continue on a long-term basis.
- It comes into the home while allowing freedom to be active throughout the community.
Case Study: How Maintenance Therapy Helped Judy
Judy’s Diagnosis and Current Functioning
Judy has middle-stage Alzheimer’s disease and general deconditioning as part of her aging process. She struggles to remember how to do everyday tasks, such as dressing in the morning and completing the large puzzles she has always enjoyed.
Her balance is impaired, and she needs a walker to be safe, but she often forgets to bring it along as she moves about.
After having a fall, she was hospitalized with a hip fracture. She completed rehabilitation in the hospital and then a care facility.
Her team recommended that Judy move as her memory loss had progressed, and she was no longer safe at home without 24-hour support. Judy and her family made the decision to move her to English Rose Suites as she became a beneficiary of the specialized care provided there.
After her move, Judy qualified for Medicare home therapy, demonstrating the medical necessity for continued care due to her condition. Judy was very motivated to get better, but this proved more difficult than imagined.
She found it challenging to stay disciplined in completing the home exercises assigned by her therapists. Having met her therapeutic goals, Judy was discharged from Medicare home therapy.
How Maintenance Therapy Helped Judy Achieve Ongoing Success
The team at English Rose Suites noticed declines in her balance after Judy was discharged from Medicare therapy services, highlighting the challenges faced in managing chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
It was time for a change. They wanted therapy that focused on the tasks and activities that were important to Judy and allowed the people who know her best to be in control of her rehab, supported by thorough documentation to track her progress and adjust her therapy as needed.
Thanks to a recommendation from the nurse at English Rose Suites, the family inquired about direct-pay, restorative therapy.
Judy began her work with the maintenance therapists, who specialized in maintenance therapy in senior care and helped discover her abilities and limitations. Judy’s therapy goals were set collaboratively.
The main goal was to keep Judy as active and engaged in daily life as possible. They were finding their “new normal.” Her desire to maximize her mobility, strength, and balance was met by creative exercise instruction from her therapists.
Over time, Judy had many successes. Eventually, she could walk throughout her home and safely remember her walker with only an occasional reminder from the English Rose Suites staff.
Our staff collaborated with the English Rose Suites staff to provide training on effective verbal reminders and thorough documentation, enabling Judy to continue performing tasks independently.
With everyone working together, Judy began to explore past hobbies she enjoyed, such as puzzles and craft projects involving painting. Her quality of life was significantly improved as she met her goals of participating in community activities and going out to dinner with her family.
She felt empowered, engaged, and happy about her accomplishments.
Benefits of Maintenance Therapy
While many people desire and achieve goals of improvement, maintenance therapy also understands that sometimes, proper “maintenance of ability” IS the goal.
Many seniors with chronic conditions get caught in a cycle of decline, which leads to hospitalization and rehab. Once home again, it is difficult to maintain exercise programs independently.
Lack of adequate maintenance leads to progressive decline, and the cycle begins again. Introducing maintenance therapy can be a life-changer for a senior.
When a client has ongoing, one-on-one restorative therapy, they can maintain their physical abilities, which often stems from an assessment of medical necessity.
This often makes the difference between staying where they are currently living and a move to the next higher level of care. A considerable benefit of maintenance therapy is that a qualified therapist can continue with clients long-term, providing specialized monitoring of any age-related changes.
If you are a senior who wants to either regain or maintain your quality of life through wellness and exercise, maintenance therapy may be the missing link that you have been searching for.
Allison Bakke is an occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience working with seniors, specializing in the treatment of cognition and dementia. She is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health and certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, specializing in maintenance therapy in senior care.
In 2007, she founded Above -AND- Beyond Senior Services, a direct pay support service for seniors who want to prolong their independence and personal freedom. They provide maintenance, physical, and occupational therapy for seniors in the Twin Cities and Rochester.
Guest blog contributors are invited to share their knowledge, experiences, and valued insights within the fields of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
If you are interested in becoming a guest contributor, please contact us directly at digital@englishrosesuites.com.
Guest blog contributors are invited to share their knowledge, experiences, and valued insights within the fields of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. If you are interested in becoming a guest contributor, please contact us directly at digital@englishrosesuites.com.
